A cull designed to kill up to 100 deer at Griffy Lake Nature preserve could start as early as Friday.
Bloomington Parks and Recreation initially contracted with sharp shooting company White Buffalo Inc. to reduce the deer population at Griffy in 2015. But the department cancelled the cull due to “unfavorable conditions.”
Director of Bloomington Parks & Recreations department Paula McDevitt says this year’s cull has the same goal: to protect the preserve’s ecosystem.
"Because of the data that we have collected and the signs that we see of deer pressure and the impact that that is having on the native plants out in the preserve is what has brought us to this point of planning this deer cull,” she says.
The cull could take place anytime between December 15th and February 28th, depending on weather conditions and contractor scheduling. To keep preserve visitors safe during that period, the park will limit its hours from 8 am to noon.
Steve Cotter is the Natural resources Manager with Bloomington Parks & Recreation. He says although deer are an important part of the preserve’s ecosystem, there needs to be a population reduction in order for it to remain balanced.
“We think that we may need to reduce the deer browse pressure below what would normally be considered to be a sustainable level so those plants can recover to the point where everything is healthy,” he says.
Cotter says an increased number of deer-related auto accidents near Griffy is another reason to reduce the population.
